What Makes You A "Visitor"?

My caption is prompted by a comment posted to an earlier iteration of our list of "visitors."  In many instances, the info on our list has been provided by the individual, rather than the host institution (sometimes we received info from the individual and the institution; sometimes from just the institution; sometimes from a colleague or friend; sometimes from another internet source).  I have no reason to question the accuracy of the info (regardless of source), choosing instead to believe that the repercussions of any blatant falsehoods would be quickly brought to light and swiftly (and perhaps painfully) addressed. 

But I do wonder if we all assign the same meaning to the term "visitor."  Consider the following:

1) With my school's permission, I move from Houston to Cleveland to teach a regular load of courses at Case Western for a semester.  I'm not teaching any courses at South Texas during that semester.  I probably return to Houston three or more weekends during the semester.  I continue to draw my paycheck from South Texas, which is reimbursed by Case Western (which may or may not pay me a relocation supplement).  I'm a "visitor," right?  (And whether Case Western identifies me as such on its faculty roster is irrelevant, right?)

2) I teach one course at cross-town Texas Southern during a semester.  I continue with my normal responsibilities at South Texas.  TSU pays me directly for my services.   Am I a "visitor"?  Does the answer depend on whether TSU lists me as a "visitor" on its faculty directory?

3) I leave practice to become a Bigelow Fellow at Chicago or a participant in the VAP Program at Duke.  Am I a "visitor"?  Can I be a "visitor" if I'm not temporarily leaving a position at another university?

4) I am scheduled for a sabbatical next semester.  For whatever reason (e.g., family, financial, professional, etc.), I contact several schools and express an interest in relocating just for the semester to teach commercial law courses.  My friend Richard Gershon invites me to Oxford for the semester.  I'll continue to draw my salary and benefits from South Texas, but I'll also be drawing a nice  salary from the University of Mississippi.  Am I a "visitor"?  Does it matter whether Mississippi lists me as a visitor on its faculty directory?  (Query whether your sabbatical policy allows you to teach elsewhere during the sabbatical.  Perhaps that's a worthy topic for another day.)

Thoughts on these, or other, examples?

Comments

[Richard Gershon]

Tim the main thing is that only one law school can count you in their student-faculty ratio. If you taught a class for TSU, while maintaining your South Texas teaching load, you could only be counted as a full-time faculty member by South Texas. If you teach exclusively at Case for a semester, they can count you as a full-time faculty member for that semester, but South Texas should not also count you. I think of a visitor as someone who I can count as a full-time faculty member.

I recently taught a course for Stetson in their LL.M. program, while I taught my full load at Charleston. I was called an adjunct professor, which I think was the appropriate title.

Please come visit us in Oxford!!!

[AnonyMarket]

Among the post-practice, pre-tenure track positions (such as the Bigelow and Duke's VAP Program), I personally tend to think whether someone is a VAP has to do with whether they are teaching doctrinal courses. Accordingly, if you're administering or helping teach LRW through one of various "fellowships" designed for aspiring law professors (E.g., Climenko, Columbia Associates-in-Law, Tulane's Forrester Fellows), you're not a "visitor." However, if you're teaching doctrinal courses at a school (E.g., Duke's program, Cornell's program, Northwestern's program, etc.), you're a visitor.

[Alfred Brophy]

Tim, perhaps you should have titled this post: "How many law professors can dance on the head of a pin and all that!" (smiling). Without giving it a lot of thought, I'd say all four examples count as visitors, but I guess it also depends in part on what purpose you have in counting visitors. I think Brian Leiter's made an observation along these lines when he posts on visits at our nation's most elite law schools.

Some of this discussion reminds me of the question about whether Barack Obama was "law professor" or not. Some purists said something along the lines of, "he wasn't a professor; he wasn't on tenure track." Most people don't see those fine distinctions.

There's a related issue when the lateral list comes out, as I recall. Because there's a question of whether someone who's moving from a "visiting assistant professor" is a lateral or entry level....

Having said all that, doesn't this blog have a separate list of "visiting assistant professors"? Maybe, Tim, you should also have lists for Bigelows and similar programs, adjuncts, visiting scholars, and whatnot. More lists might help capture the exciting things that are going on at law schools around the country.